Storage device and a method of controlling data storing area

Abstract

A controller has a memory data protection function of generating a cache data log including data of a memory and a header related to update of the data and writing the cache data log to any one of a plurality of kinds of drives, and the controller uses the memory data protection function to select, from the plurality of kinds of drives, a drive that is to store the cache data log, according to necessary performance, and store the cache data log in the selected drive.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A storage apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of kinds of drives that store data in a non-volatile manner;   a plurality of controllers that control reading and writing of the data to and from a host; and   a volatile memory that temporarily stores the data, wherein   each of the plurality of controllers has a memory data protection function of generating a cache data log including the data of the memory and a header related to update content of the data and writing the cache data log to any one of the plurality of kinds of drives, and   the controller uses the memory data protection function to select, from the plurality of kinds of drives, a drive that is to store the cache data log, according to necessary performance, and store the cache data log in the selected drive.   
     
     
         2 . The storage apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein,
 when one of the plurality of controllers is blocked, another controller not blocked executes the memory data protection function.   
     
     
         3 . The storage apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the plurality of kinds of drives includes
 a memory backup drive as a storage area for saving storage content of the memory of the one controller when the one controller is blocked, and 
 a drive for user data that reads and writes the data regardless of whether or not the one controller is blocked. 
   
     
     
         4 . The storage apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the other controller
 selects the memory backup drive from the plurality of kinds of drives when the necessary performance is set to prioritize that a predetermined performance requirement related to reading and writing speed of data is satisfied, and 
 selects the drive for user data from the plurality of kinds of drives when the necessary performance is set to not prioritize that the predetermined performance requirement is satisfied. 
   
     
     
         5 . The storage apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the plurality of kinds of drives include at least one solid state drive, and   the other controller selects the solid state drive from the plurality of kinds of drives when the necessary performance is set to prioritize that the predetermined performance requirement is satisfied.   
     
     
         6 . The storage apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the data includes a plurality of pieces of block-based data in which the data is divided into blocks,   the cache data log includes
 the block-based data, and 
 a header related to update content of the block-based data, and 
   the other controller selects, from the plurality of kinds of drives, a drive that is to store the block-based data and the header as the cache data log.   
     
     
         7 . The storage apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a storage location management table for managing information related to at least a type and a capacity size regarding the plurality of kinds of drives, wherein   the other controller refers to the storage location management table to select the drive that is to store the cache data log.   
     
     
         8 . A storage location control method of a storage apparatus including a plurality of kinds of drives that store data in a non-volatile manner, a plurality of controllers that control reading and writing of the data to and from a host, and a volatile memory that temporarily stores the data, the storage location control method comprising:
 a data protection step of executing, by each of the plurality of controllers, a memory data protection function of generating a cache data log including the data of the memory and a header related to update content of the data and writing the cache data log to any one of the plurality of kinds of drives, wherein,   in the data protection step, the controller uses the memory data protection function to select, from the plurality of kinds of drives, a drive that is to store the cache data log, according to necessary performance, and store the cache data log in the selected drive.   
     
     
         9 . The storage location control method according to  claim 8 , wherein,
 when one of the plurality of controllers is blocked, another controller not blocked executes the memory data protection function in the data protection step.   
     
     
         10 . The storage location control method according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the plurality of kinds of drives includes
 a memory backup drive as a storage area for saving storage content of the memory of the one controller when the one controller is blocked, and 
 a drive for user data that reads and writes the data regardless of whether or not the one controller is blocked. 
   
     
     
         11 . The storage location control method according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the other controller in the data protection step
 selects the memory backup drive from the plurality of kinds of drives when the necessary performance is set to prioritize that a predetermined performance requirement related to reading and writing speed of data is satisfied, and 
 selects the drive for user data from the plurality of kinds of drives when the necessary performance is set to not prioritize that the predetermined performance requirement is satisfied. 
   
     
     
         12 . The storage location control method according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the plurality of kinds of drives include at least one solid state drive, and   the other controller in the data protection step selects the solid state drive from the plurality of kinds of drives when the necessary performance is set to prioritize that the predetermined performance requirement is satisfied.   
     
     
         13 . The storage location control method according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the data includes a plurality of pieces of block-based data in which the data is divided into blocks,   the cache data log includes
 the block-based data, and 
 a header related to update content of the block-based data, and 
   the other controller in the data protection step selects, from the plurality of kinds of drives, a drive that is to store the block-based data and the header as the cache data log.   
     
     
         14 . The storage location control method according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a storage location management table for managing information related to at least a type and a capacity size regarding the plurality of kinds of drives, wherein   the other controller in the data protection step refers to the storage location management table to select the drive that is to store the cache data log.